This invention relates in general to articles of luggage and bags and, in particular, to an improved article of luggage or bag having a collapsible construction.
More specifically, but without restriction to the particular use which is shown and described, the invention relates to a collapsible article of luggage or bag in which a pair of pivotally mounted reinforcing panels permit the luggage to assume either a rigid or semi-rigid configuration or a collapsed space-saving shape.
A typical rigid or semi-rigid piece of luggage is bulky in size when shipped or stored in an empty condition. The fixed external dimensions of known constructions increase the volume occupied during shipment between and from the manufacturer or seller and further interfere with the convenient space-saving storage of the bag at home or elsewhere by the user. Attempts have been made in the past to provide a bag having a collapsible design when empty for economical shipment and convenient storage. Examples of prior art designs are disclosed in the patent to Zoland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,564; and Kertz, U.S. Pat. No. 726,941.
Such known collapsible constructions are provided with a stiffening insert to create a structure of fixed dimensions. Past collapsible designs, such as shown in the Zoland and Kertz patents, however, suffer from several defects that rendered them unsatisfactory for widespread use. Prior bags of the knock-down type are either inconvenient to use or rely on impractical designs.
For example, in known techniques, the expansible bag insert is not suitably anchored in the erected bag. In an expanded form, it is desirable that the bag maintain that configuration without collapsing when carrying any articles during transport or handling. Because of the prior ineffectiveness of securing the expandable member(s) in such articles, accidental collapse is possible in transport and handling.
Known bags can further only be erected if it is nearly void of all articles. In some situations, however, a bag may need to be expanded from a collapsed form to a more rigid form when at least some items are present within the bag through oversight, dislodgement and the like. In addition, some known knock-down luggage is physically designed in a manner adversely affecting its ability to accommodate items within the bag because of interfering cross structure and the like.